Frankel covers first mare, multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Midday

European champion Frankel's stud career began successfully on Friday when he covered multiple Grade/Group 1-winning mare Midday at Banstead Manor Stud.

The stud career of Frankel, the two-time reigning European Horse of the Year, officially began Friday when he covered his first mare, multiple Grade/Group 1 winner Midday.

Frankel, who raced as a homebred for Juddmonte Farms, retired unbeaten in 14 starts, including 10 Group 1 victories. The 5-year-old son of leading international sire Galileo is standing his initial season at Juddmonte’s Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket, England, for a fee of approximately $198,000.

Midday, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, produced her first foal, a colt by Galileo, on Jan. 16 at Banstead Manor. Like Frankel, the 7-year-old Oasis Dream mare raced as a homebred for Juddmonte, winning eight stakes races, including six Grade/Group 1 events, and earning $3,438,502.

Midday's dam, the stakes-placed Kingmambo mare Midsummer, is also scheduled to be bred to Frankel this season. The stallion's star-studded first book of about 135 mares includes 60 Grade/Group 1 winners or producers.

It took Northern Dancer years to get to where Frankel is in his first year at stud... They used to breed them different back then..today we breed for speed and brilliance(not science or bloodline knowledge, oh and forget about conformation if they have 4 legs they are good to go); however, those that breed for conformation , class and stoutness are fewer thus horses like Frankel are very rare these days, but look at the rewards he is giving those that bred him and own his stud rights.... maybe a light will flicker in the dead brains of those rich and dumb horse owners and breeders that are burying the game with their egos and short sightedness that are the product of that false pride.... "forgive them Lord for they know not what they do". Just wasting money... and ruining the present and future of a most challenging and intriguing sport. Some make me laugh with their high tech videos watching races over and over trying to analyze a horse's ability by the nano second. It has become a game of numbers. Wonder where all that science and horse sense has gone... 90% of breeders today should be racing mules, not thoroughbreds. Thank God for Juddmonte and thank God for breeders who respect the game, they are few but sometimes only one will make a difference.